Missed opportunity
So, I’m currently reading Virtually Free Marketing (still available online) and actually it’s quite good.
The reason I’m reading it is because I’ve been commissioned to write the sequel (that’s not what the publishers call it, but it’s kind of how I sold it to them).
As you may know the book is all about getting established online – from nothing – and costing next to nothing. Well it’s all online and you can search around for help, but it’s good to have a guide book to hand.
Anyway, as I was hurtling up the M1 and M6 today (before hurtling back tomorrow morning) I started looking at the trucks – specifically those HGVs that are apparently nearly 14 metres long.
Eddie Stobart Truck...but what does it say on the side?
There were hundreds on the journey and I started to notice that huge bit of advertising ‘real estate’ on the side.
O f course most companies have their name and often a logo (though not all) and lots of companies have straplines. Eddie Stobart pictured here (by far the most frequently sighted truck) has a strapline other than the one shown…and possibly the only twelve syllable one “Delivering Sustainable Distribution” …which made me wince several times as I tried to determine what it meant and, as importantly, if it would make any difference to me if I was in a position to give them an order.
Answer: no.
There were a few other similarly tiresome straplines often about ‘delivering’ something or double glazing being ‘clearly’ superior in some way.
But the thing that struck me was that the vast majority (I estimated 80%) of the trucks had little or no branding (so they simply told you their name) and only about 1 in 10 had any really useful or informative communication on the lorry.
Quite a few just had the web address – which interestingly is almost redundant with the almost universal use of Google and more intelligent browsers – it serves only to tell you that they can be found online, if you look, because you almost certainly have no time to make a note!
Only one or two trucks had a useful or relevant message on this large area of ‘free’ advertising space. One example was a Pilkington’s Glass truck (pictured here) which had a graphic representation of its Activ branded ‘self cleaning’ glass. Important information about a product that would give you a reason to at least consider Pilkington’s.
So my question is; why doesn’t every company use the truck to really promote themselves? Not a bland corporate message but their biggest, most enticing benefit and a call to action?
I was also reminded of this photo I took a while ago which illustrates the uncanny ability some companies have to exactly demonstrate why you should never give them an order. It might take you a little while to work out.
